Archery is tough

[Dedge]

Man why didn't you guys tell me archery is so tough. J/K I have to admit I didn't think that I would get so sore from only shooting like 40 or 50 arrows. My left arm is just dead. How often do you guys shoot. I don't mean how many times a week. Well yeah actually how many times a week, but how many arrows do you shoot per outing. I am planning on shooting everyday that I am able to spare a half hour. I have already made up my mind that if I don't feel confident come season I am not going to shoot at live targets. Just spend more range time. Wouldn't feel right being out there and needing to get lucky to have a clean kill shot, ya know.

Lets hear it. And don't be afraid to spill any pointers. I am all ears.

Dan

[XArmy]

Focus on your form... Focus on your form... Focus on your form... If your form is unconsistant, you won't group for crap no matter where you aim... Also practice your hunting situations.. i.e. shoot from your tree stand, sitting/standing, with your mask/gloves on if you use them etc...

I shoot every day and about 30-50+ arrows per... I miss a day here and there due to rain or to much work that day and I'm to tired etc... But I try to get out every day...

[Jacob Huffman]

:yeahthat: I have to agree....form is everything.Make sure you hit the same anchor point every time.Start close - 10 yards- get that down then step back to 15,get that down go back to 20.I would try to get the hang of it on the ground and level before trying from a sitting,kneeling or tree stand.Once you get the hang of it and accurate then try somthing different.Your arm will get used to the pulling but it takes awhile..keep up the good work.

[rzdrmh]

take your time. better to shoot 12 quality arrows than 50 poor arrows. i shoot most of the year, anywhere from 1-4 times a week, but never more than 30 or 40 arrows in a session. maintain consistency in your form and anchor points. and above all else, make a shot routine.

for example, every shot i take goes like this:

lift the bow to roughly aim at my target. draw the bow straight back, without twisting, or raising or lowering my aiming point. (if you must twist a little, or strain to draw the bow without movement, lower the poundage. when in the tree stand, deer will tolerate little movement, and you might as well practice as you're expected to hunt.) check my left wrist to make sure its straight. open grip on the bow. then i anchor - i use a 4 point anchor - first i place my first knuckle on the tendon just below my ear. then i slide my thumb behind my neck. then i tilt my head into my kisser button. then i make sure my nose is resting on the string. all the while, my pins have been hovering generally on target. deep breath, exhale slowly for about 7 seconds, planning to shoot on about 4 or 5. let the pin settle, don't force it to a spot, and squeeze the release.

most important shot is your first of the day. judge yourself from your beginning shots, not your final shots. bend at the hip when in the tree stand. practice from the tree stand.

to make sure i'm not shooting too fast, i wander. flip your field-tipped arrows into the yard, and casually walk to each one, taking your time, and shoot. leave the bow out when you're working outside.. pick it up every half hour and shoot once.

if shooting with a partner, sometimes we test each other. for example, one game we play is to shoot from a longer distance (we each shoot maximum of 25-30 yards in the field, so in practice, we might go 35-40 yards.) the shooter will draw, and hold on target while the other silently counts to a number between 0 and 120. the shooter must shoot immediately when the other says "shoot".

keep it fun.

[Dedge]

Shot some more tonight and I am really enjoying it. I think I did one too many shots though. My last one was pretty shaky, so I decided enough was enough. Would love to be able to shoot more though. In time I guess. I really appreciate all the advice so far. I have been concentrating on my form and trying a home-made 4 step aproach. Nock... Draw... Sight... Release... So far it has been working ok. Near as I can tell anyway. Tomorrow is another day. Will have to make sure to squeeze in a few before bowling.

Later,
Dan

[TnRidge]

Don't overshoot ! It's better to shoot a dozen or so quality arrows and focusing on that first shot everytime than it is to shoot 40-50 arrows , and practice bad habits and sloppy form .

End your sessions on a high note when you are still feeling fresh , not tired out and flinging arrows .

[XArmy]

End your sessions on a high note when you are still feeling fresh , not tired out and flinging arrows .

:yeahthat: If you really want to work on your form, shoot at a blank target for the first 10-15 mins of your shooting... Don't aim at anything... just concentrate on form... With good form comes good aiming naturaly...

[Jacob Huffman]

I forgot to mention one thing.If your shooting with a sight dont try to adjust the sight after you have been shooting for awhile.When you get tired and start to scatter your shot dont think your site needs to be adjusted,your probably just tired.

[jme]

While I'm not particularly wild about Field and Stream magazine, the Sept issue had a good article on improving our aim. Its focus - form, form, form. It was very helpful.

Like rzdrmh and others have said, it's the first shot that counts. Only the first shot. Man, after 3 or 4 I'm a regular Robin Hood. Too bad it's not like that in the woods. I do just what rzdrmh says; take a shot, put the bow down for 15 or 20 minutes. Take another shot, put the bow down. On the limb of my bow I have written my motto: Concentrate (hit your points, follow good form) - Focus (block out excitement/distraction of the hunt) - Aim at a single hair (it's easy to just '..shoot at the deer..'). By only taking one shot it forces me to follow my motto - and I'm disgusted at how often I screw things up! I also chart every arrow so I know they're flying true. A sample of my chart is in my gallery. Finally, as I've gotten older I've found that it's easy to get a sore shoulder. This year I changed my form so that I'mpushing the bow forward with my left arm while drawing with my right. This eases the strain on my right since it's not doing all the work.

There's nothing like bowhunting - go for it! Welcome to the club - there is no cure once you've been bitten by the bow bug.

John - Ypsi